The Department of Commerce Blog Entries for Category: Arne Duncanhttp://www.commerce.gov/blog/category/1427
The U.S. Department of Commerce has a broad mandate to advance economic growth and jobs and opportunities for the American people. It has cross cutting responsibilities in the areas of trade, technology, entrepreneurship, economic development, environmental stewardship and statistical research and analysis.
The products and services the department provides touch the lives of Americans and American companies in many ways, including weather forecasts, the decennial census, and patent and trademark protection for inventors and businesses. The development of commerce to provide new opportunities was the central goal at the department's beginning in 1903 and it remains a primary obligation today.enSecretary Pritzker Participates in Let's Read! Let's Move! Initiativehttp://www.commerce.gov/blog/2013/07/24/secretary-pritzker-participates-lets-read-lets-move-initiative
<p>Secretary
Penny Pritzker today joined Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, U.S. Senators
Michael Bennet and Johnny Isakson, both members of the Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor &amp; Pensions (HELP), Federal Aviation Administration
Deputy Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation and former
astronaut George D. Zamka, and Miss America&nbsp;Mallory Hagan for the third
installment of the five-part initiative&nbsp;<em>Let’s Read! Let’s Move!</em>
During the planets and astronauts-themed event, Secretary Pritzker&nbsp;read <em>Pluto's Secret: An Icy World's Tale of
Discovery</em> to children from the Washington, DC, area.</p>
<p>The<em>
Let’s Read! Let’s Move!</em> initiative is a partnership between the Department
of Education (ED) and the Corporation for National and Community Service that
engages children in summer reading and physical activity, as well as provides
information about healthy lifestyles. Each installment supports First Lady
Michelle Obama’s&nbsp;<em>Let’s Move!</em> campaign, which promotes healthy
eating and an active lifestyle, while also encouraging strong early learning
programs to ensure promising futures for children.</p>
<p>Each
of the <em>Let’s Read! Let’s Move!</em> events this year feature book
distributions, healthy snacks and fun physical activities led by the YMCA and
professional athletes, including NFL, NBA and pro-tennis players. Special guest
readers engage a large group of children from DC-area elementary schools and
early childhood development centers, including the Health and Human Services/ED
Children’s Center, a nonprofit child care and development center sponsored by
the two departments.</p>
<p>Secretary
Pritzker believes that the ability to compete in a global economy depends on a
workforce that possesses skills required by employers. The <em>Let’s Read! Let’s
Move!</em> initiative is an investment in the future of American children who
will one day serve as global leaders driving the strength of American
businesses to secure the foundation of our nation’s economy.</p>http://www.commerce.gov/blog/2013/07/24/secretary-pritzker-participates-lets-read-lets-move-initiative#commentsArne DuncanLet's Read! Let's Move!Office of the SecretarySecretary of Commerce Penny PritzkerWed, 24 Jul 2013 19:17:25 +0000shorowitz@doc.gov15805 at http://www.commerce.govLocke and Duncan Discuss Comprehensive Immigration Reform with Members of the U.S. Chamber of Commercehttp://www.commerce.gov/blog/2011/06/03/locke-and-duncan-discuss-comprehensive-immigration-reform-members-us-chamber-commerc
<p>Secretary Gary Locke
and Education Secretary Arne Duncan participated in a conference call today to
discuss comprehensive immigration reform with members of the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce.&nbsp;The pair made the case for why effective immigration reform is vital
to U.S. economic competitiveness and why the involvement of the business
community is crucial to move this important priority forward.&nbsp;Approximately 175
people from at least 30 states joined the call, including 80 CEOs and
representatives from businesses, local and state chambers of commerce and
industry and trade associations.&nbsp; </p>
<p>Locke discussed
how comprehensive reform will help create jobs in the U.S. and stressed the need
to build an immigration system that will attract the brightest, most
highly-skilled people from around the world, so their skills, ideas and
entrepreneurial spirit can help start new businesses, enhancing U.S. global
competitiveness.&nbsp; Locke specifically highlighted two proposed approaches for
reforming the current visa system: encouraging top foreign talents who receive a
graduate degree in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics) to remain in the U.S. after they graduate by allowing them to
acquire legal permanent residence; and issuing two-year visas to immigrant
entrepreneurs whose start-up companies receive investment from a U.S. investor,
and giving these entrepreneurs permanent residence if their companies create full-time jobs in the U.S. within those two
years.&nbsp; Locke urged members of the Chamber to help make the case in their
communities that comprehensive immigration reform is an economic imperative
critical to America’s future economic competitiveness.&nbsp; </p>
<p>Locke asked
participants on the call to add their voice to the national conversation by
visiting <a title="http://www.whitehouse.gov/immigrationaction" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/roundtables">www.whitehouse.gov/immigrationaction</a> and hosting a
conversation in their community about why we need to fix the broken immigration
system.&nbsp;</p>
<p><!--break-->Duncan
emphasized the importance of opening the doors of America’s top-notch higher
education to more immigrants, so more talented youth can attend college and
receive the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the economy.&nbsp; He
specifically underscored the DREAM Act as an important part of the
administration’s comprehensive immigration reform agenda and a piece of
legislation that will help more immigrants receive higher education, pursue
their American dream and help the entire American economy prosper.&nbsp;
</p>
<p>In his 2011
State of the Union address and speech in El Paso, Texas in May, President Obama
made comprehensive immigration reform a key economic priority of his vision to
out-innovate, out-educate and out-build our global competition and win the
future.&nbsp; Today’s call was hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to give its
members an opportunity to speak directly to Cabinet-level officials and learn
about how the administration’s comprehensive immigration reform efforts will
benefit the businesses community and the economy.&nbsp; </p><p><a href="/news/press-releases/2011/06/03/readout-comprehensive-immigration-reform-conference-call-commerce-sec">Readout on conference call</a></p>http://www.commerce.gov/blog/2011/06/03/locke-and-duncan-discuss-comprehensive-immigration-reform-members-us-chamber-commerc#commentsArne DuncanComprehensive immigration reformDREAM ActEconomySecretary of Commerce Gary LockeFri, 03 Jun 2011 19:00:00 +0000ksullivan@doc.gov13085 at http://www.commerce.gov